Bayern Munich held by Dortmund in thrilling draw

Bayern Munich missed an opportunity to widen their lead at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, playing out a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund at home. After title rivals Bayer Leverkusen dropped points earlier in the day, Bayern had the chance to go eight points clear but failed to capitalize, keeping the gap at six.

Stalemate in the first half

The opening 45 minutes in the Allianz Arena were filled with energy but lacked goals. Bayern, aware of Leverkusen’s 0-0 draw against Union Berlin, came out determined to strike early. Thomas Müller, who is in the final months of his Bayern career, was particularly lively and had a couple of promising moments. Despite their efforts, the hosts went into the break still locked at 0-0 with Dortmund.

Second-half goal fest

The second half brought fireworks. Borussia Dortmund took the lead against the run of play when Maximilian Beier nodded in a pinpoint cross from Julian Ryerson, stunning the Munich crowd. But Bayern responded. Müller turned provider, laying the ball back for Raphael Guerreiro who calmly slotted home the equalizer. It was 1-1, and the home side wasn’t done. Just minutes later, Serge Gnabry—fresh off the bench—dribbled through the middle of the pitch and coolly finished to make it 2-1 for Bayern. The momentum appeared to be with the league leaders.

Dortmund fights back again

Dortmund, however, refused to roll over. In the 75th minute, Waldemar Anton scored his first goal of the season by pouncing on a rebound after a long-range effort from Serhou Guirassy was parried away. The final stages of the match were wide open. Dortmund nearly stole all three points when Pascal Gross lobbed just over the bar. Bayern also had a golden chance to win it in stoppage time, but Michael Olise missed the target from close range, leaving the match tied at 2-2.

Bayern still in control, but margin narrows

While the result keeps Bayern in first place, the failure to stretch their lead could prove costly later in the season. With Leverkusen still within striking distance, Vincent Kompany’s side will need to be sharper in the coming weeks to maintain their grip on the title race. For now, Bayern stays six points clear, but with both teams showing signs of inconsistency, the Bundesliga title fight is far from over.